The present invention relates to personal flotation devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to elongate, noodle-type flotation devices. Most particularly, the present invention relates to elongate, noodle-type flotation devices made of soft, elastic, buoyant foam materials and hand-held tools when used in an aquatic environment.
Personal flotation devices which provide buoyant assistance to a person immersed in water in maintaining a portion of their body above the water""s surface long have been known in the art. Such devices have been used for safety and rescue purposes as well as for recreation and amusement. These devices have taken various forms including life vests, water wings, small rafts, and toroidally shaped life preservers. Such devices may be fabricated utilizing rigid or soft buoyant materials and/or may include air filled chambers. A currently popular form of such device, used primarily for recreational purposes, is an elongate noodle-type device with free ends formed of soft, deformable, buoyant, plastic, closed-cell foam material. These devices may be placed between the legs, or across the chest and under the arms, or across the back and under the arms by a user to provide buoyant support and assistance. These personal floatation devices of the prior art have not generally been utilized to provide buoyant assistance when working with hand-held tools in an aquatic environment because of the difficulty of managing and controlling such flotation devices while utilizing an independent hand-held tool.
When used for recreation and amusement, these noodle-type personal flotation devices of the prior art are passive, generally offering only a buoyant force for flotation assistance and playful resistance.
Hand-held tools such as pump devices for projecting a stream of liquid toward distant locations have also long been known in the art. Such pump devices are commonly used to apply cleaners, water and other liquids to surfaces. Such pumps may also take the form of squeeze balls and water pistols utilized to project streams of water for amusement and recreation. These pumps to are typically associated with a reservoir of relatively small volume from which liquid is drawn and projected as a stream, spray, or mist.
It is an object of the present invention to provide buoyant assistance to an individual while utilizing a water pump, brush or other hand-held tool in an aquatic environment.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide means for maintaining control and availability of a water pump, brush or other hand-held tool when the tool is being utilized in an aquatic environment.
It is a further object of the present invention to enhance the utility of noodle-type personal flotation devices in a swimming pool environment to assist in cleaning, watering, body misting, and other pool related activities performed with hand-held tools.
It is yet another object of the present invention to enhance the amusement and recreational value of noodle-type personal flotation devices.
It is a further object to increase mobility when using noodle-type personal flotation devices.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a hand-held tool for use with a noodle-type personal flotation device in an aquatic environment.
In keeping with the above objectives, a noodle-type personal flotation device apparatus comprising a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a tool head assembly with a mounting cup having a cylindrical wall and a flat base. The cup is sized to receive an end portion of an elongate, noodle-type personal flotation device of generally circular cross section in nested relation. The mounting cup wall may be provided with a hole to vent air and facilitate placement of the cup over the end portion of a flotation device. Once the mounting cup is placed over the end portion with the end of the flotation device abutting the cup base, a piece of adhesive tape may be placed over the hole. A boss extends outward from the mounting cup base, generally along the longitudinal axis of the flotation device. A tool head, including a handle and a trigger-operated, plunger-type hand pump for pumping water, is pivotally mounted on the boss such that it may rotate about the boss axis.
Preferably, the noodle-type personal flotation device is formed of a flexible, soft, closed-cell, plastic foam material, and a second water pumping device is mounted upon a second end of the flotation device. The flotation device is preferably of such a length that, when an intended user of the apparatus draws the personal flotation device across his back and under each of his arms so as to be supported upright in the water, the tool heads are at such a distance from the user that they each may be held comfortably in one of the users hands and the pumps activated.
In a second embodiment, a tool head including a brush with scrubbing bristles is mounted on each end of the noodle-type personal flotation device.
In another embodiment, propulsive tools, such as paddle and swim-fin type tools are provided to increase mobility of a noodle-type personal flotation device user.
Other objects, advantages and aspects of the invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following detailed description and claims and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.